


The Media Elite

by midnightwren



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil
Genre: F/F, F/M, Newsroom AU, Swearing, based off of the newsroom, courf believes in bigfoot, points for spotting sorkinisms, socially awkward cosette, suave eponine, valjean is an adorable old man bamf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 22:44:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2828708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightwren/pseuds/midnightwren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Enjolras is a floundering anchor, caring more for ratings then the news. Eponine comes back into his life after three years to be his executive producer. They three are now on a mission to give the people the real news. To work against popular stories and develop their own opinions. Valjean gathers a team to carry out their vision. Yet station head Javert may stop their quest to achieve this dream.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Media Elite

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of Aaron Sorkins The Newsroom, I love the show and couldn't help but imagine Eponine as Mac.

(Northwestern University )

Gabrial Enjolras shifted in his seat as the fellow panel guests rambled on over questions. The harsh lighting from overhead made his head hurt, gazing out into the audience of students his eyes fell on a brunette. Older then a typical college student…..

no, it couldn’t be her. 

Blinking his eyes quickly he looked back to where she sat. It wasn’t her. it wasn’t her and that was good. 

“Gabe!” The shout of his little spoken given name brought him back to reality. The blonde turned to the man running the panel. 

“The girl asked a question.” He accused and Enjolras shifted his gaze to a young blonde standing nervously by the microphone. 

“In one sentence what makes America the greatest country in the world.” She asked, Enjolras scoffed at the naivety of her question. 

 

“The NEA!” The women answered, and the crowd applauded. 

“Freedom, freedom and freedom.” The next man replied with that same condencding smirk on his face. 

“The New York Jets.” Enjolras quipped earning a laugh from the crowd. The man running the panel held up his hand. 

“No, I want a real answer from you, not some joke not a sarcastic I’m such a smart ass comment. A real answer and we’re not moving on until you give one.” 

Enjolras fell silent, his looked back out into the crowd.  
She was there again, he could swear she rolled her eyes at him. Then she held up a pad of paper with large black letters printed over it. 

It’s Not 

She flipped the paper over

But it can be

She couldn’t be there this was some sideffect of the meds, something in his mind wasn’t firing right and he was halluciating. But he could feel it, that burn inside of him that hadn’t been there in so long. He had an answer, one this panel would hate but one he knew was the truth. He looked back to where she was. She pointed to her words, even in the dim lighting of the audiance seating he could see that she was staring him down like she did for so long. 

“It’s not.” He answered suddenly, the words flying out of his mouth before he had a chance to process them. The crowd began whispering. 

“Are you gonna tell me that America’s students are so star spangled awesome that we're the only country that has freedom? Canada has freedom, Japan has freedom, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia, Belgium has freedom! So 207 sovereign states in the world, like a hundred and eighty of them have freedom.

“Alright, thank you Ga.” The moderator cut in but Enjolras cut him off. 

“And yeah, you, sorority girl. Just in case you accidentally wander into a voting booth one day, there's some things you should know, and one of them is, there's absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we're the greatest country in the world.” He continued his words gaining more fire and he could feel his old self returning. 

“So when you ask, "what makes us the greatest country in the world?" I dunno know what the fuck you're talking about. Yosemite?” He paused, not due to not knowing what to say but realizing he was right. The reasons his family came here were not available to people today. 

“We sure used to be. We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reasons. We passed laws, struck down laws for moral reasons. We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors. We put our money where our mouths were. And we never beat our chest. We built great big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases, and we cultivated the world's greatest artists and the world's greatest economy. We reached for the stars, acted like men. We aspired to intelligence, we didn't belittle it, it didn't make us feel inferior. We didn't identify ourselves by who we voted for in our last election. And we didn't... we didn't scare so easy. We were able to be all these things, and to do all these things, because we were informed. By great men, men who were revered. First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore. “ 

 

000000  
(New York City )

“You have a meeting with Valjean Sir.” Enjolras turned to see a young man standing in his doorway. 

“You know I’ve got an intercom.” He answered

“Yes but you disabled it and you’re not answering your phone.” He responded and nervously shifted on his feet. 

“Tell him I’ll be up in a few.” Enjolras replied, he walked out into the bullpen where he realized that it was far too empty. 

“Where’s my staff?” He asked, the same girl who had told him Valjean wanted to see him raised her hand.

“They left after the whole Northwestern issue.” She told him, Enjolras shook his head. “That’s why Valjean wanted to see you.” 

This wasn’t happening, he couldn’t do his show without a staff. He turned on heel and went to the elevators. 

0000  
“Where’s my staff?” Enjolras asked as soon as he opened the doors to Valjean’s office. 

“How was the vacation Gabe?” The older man asked him before grabbing his bottle of Scotch. 

“I don’t know I got called an idiot and danger to the nation on Fox but I take that as a complement.” Enjolras answered and sat down. “ Now why is my bullpen empty?” 

“First off were trying Combeferre at ten, that’s why you don’t have any staff.” Enjolras’s eyes widened, Ferre poached his staff? “ Your EP took the staff, he had nothing to do with it.” Valjean explained. 

“I don’t have an EP anymore?” 

“Well you do and a really great one at that.” Valjean answered before taking a drink. 

“What’s his name?” Enjolras asked wondering who had signed up to work for him after what had happened. 

“I didn’t say it was a he, you know her.” Valjean replied, 

no, no, no, no 

Enjolras stood up and ran his hands through his hair. 

“Please don’t tell me you hired Eponine Thenardier as my EP!” 

“It’s Jondrette, she’s not been Thenardier since her parents got thrown in jail.” 

“I have a right to know who’s running my show.” Enjolras restored, he began pacing around the office. 

“She’s the best one for the job and frankly the only one for it because you’re not exactly a pleasure to work with.” Valjean told him. 

“I’m very likable, I’ve got the ratings to prove it!” He answered 

“Ratings don’t matter, I saw you at Northwestern you were your old self.” Valjean told him gently. “Eponine will be here today she’s coming up from DC as we speak.” Valjean’s tone was harsher now telling him that he couldn’t change anything now. 

Eponine was back. 

0000000

Eponine swung the door open, setting her bags down on the ground she took in her surroundings. She was back, for the first time in three years. Three years of running from her mistakes and her fears. Now she was back, ready to face her past and set things right. 

“Excuse me.” She asked the man at the desk. He looked up and seemed flustered. 

“Sorry, sorry can I help you?” He asked. 

“Yes I’m Eponine and I’m here to see Enjolras.” The man stared at her for a moment before laughing. 

“I’m sorry, of course Ms. Jondrette, Mr. Enjolras isn’t here right now though.” 

“He’s not?” Eponine mumbled “Of course he didn’t know I was coming.” She looked back to the youngman. “Excuse me what’s your name?” 

“Jean, Jehan Prouvaire” He answered. 

“Thank you Jehan” Eponine answered. 

“Eponine?” A voice called from across the room and Eponine turned. Her face broke out in a grin and she threw her arms around the man. 

“Marius!” She exclaimed and stepped back from the man. 

“I can’t believe that you’re back.” Marius stated with a smile. 

“Apparently neither can Enjolras.” Eponine mumbled and Marius gave her an awkward half smile. 

“He’ll be back soon.” Marius encouraged before grabbing a file off of the desk and leaving. 

“Ponine!” Eponine turned and saw her companion come into the room. Well he made it to the desk and promptly got tangled in her luggage. 

“R that’s Louis Vuitton luggage!” Eponine scolded and crossed her arms. 

“I’m fine thank you Ep.” Grantaire answered after he got out of her bags. “I’ve got to talk to you for a second.” He guided Eponine away from the desk. 

“So here’s something funny, did you know that Gabriel Enjolras didn’t know that you were hired as an EP? “ 

“I may have had a little knowledge.” Eponine answered 

“I left my job for this Ponine, I put down rent and now I’m not even sure I have a job?” 

“ R, R it’s fine I’m going to talk to Enjolras and everything will be fine.” Eponine chided.  
“Why didn’t you tell me you have a problem with Enjolras?” Grantaire questioned and Eponine froze. 

“It’s personal.” She smoothed her skirt and looked back to Grantaire. “Look everything will be alright.” 

“Ms Jondrette?” Eponine turned to face the young man. 

“Mr. Enjolras is here.” 

Eponine stood still, the imposing double doors across the office. 

“Why are you scared of Enjolras?” Grantaire asked her from his perch on somebodys desk.  
“Listen bub.” She replied spinning around to face him. “I’m not scared of anything besides jellyfish which is completely normal.” With that she strode across the bull pen and into his office.  
000  
He was sitting at his desk and for a moment she thought that it was three years in the past before everything went wrong.  
“Eponine.” He coldly stated. 

“Gabe, its been a pretty long time. How’ve you been?” She asked awkwardly Enjolras shrugged but didn’t answer. “On a scale of 1 to 10 how much trouble am I in?” 

“None, I’m over it,” 

Not in the slightest, that when he saw her come into his office he felt his heart skip a beat.  
“Hey, treat me the way you want but don’t take it out on those who followed me, they took a risk, they put down rent they’re looking for preschools.” 

“Yeah they fucked up Ep they trusted you!” Enjolras exclaimed and stood angrily. 

 

00000

Out in the bull pen Grantaire was bored, he spun around in his chair waiting for Eponine to come out with the verdict. A sudden pinging took his attention. Glancing to the computer he saw a news alert. 

Explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. 

“Hey you’ve got an alert.” He said to the man at the desk. 

“It’s yellow, put it on Bousset’s desk and see if it go’s anywhere.” A man told him as he came up to the main desk. 

“You must be Grantaire, I’m Marius.” Marius held out his hand and shook Grantaires. 

“Flames are 180 feet in the air.” 

“It’s still yellow.” Marius answered annoyed at the man at the desk. 

“Rescue crews are looking for the 6 men who are missing.” 

“There’s been an explosion at an oil rig?” Courfeyrac came up to them. 

“In the Gulf of Mexico.” Grantaire replied. Courfeyrac blanched at the news. “BP Deepwater Horizon. The Coast Guard evacuated seven people, all of them critically injured, and they're searching for 11 confirmed missing.

“It’s still yellow!” Marius exclaimed. 

“Maybe it’s not being updated because they have bigger problems.” Courfeyrac told him. 

“What’s worse then a missing crew?” Marius asked

“I checked the BP well, That rig is drilling at 18,000 feet below sea level.There are only a couple of things that could have failed.And if it was the wrong one It would be like trying to toss a hat on a fire hose.” Courfeyrac explained. 

00000  
“Listen to these words which were written by Don Miguel de Cervantes: "Hear me now, O thou bleak and unbearable world.Thou art base and debauched as can be.But a knight with his banners all bravely unfurled now hurls down his gauntlet to thee!" That was Don Quixote.”

“Ep those were the lyrics from Man of La Mancha.” Enjolras sighed, 

“The points the same, it’s time for someone to correct the wrongs, it’s time for Don Quixote.” 

“You think I’m a knight, really Ep .” Enjolras laughed 

“No I think I’m him, you can be the horse.” 

“He rode a donkey.” Enjolras corrected

Eponine shrugged “Can’t help you there.” She leaned forward “I want to reclaim journalism as an honorable profession, give people the facts and let them decide!” 

Enjolras thought about it, looking at the New York cityscape he imagined it, bring those old conversations they had to life. 

“I need a chance Gabe, we all need one.” Eponine whispered. 

“For the moment you’re people can have their jobs. “ Enjolras told her Eponine breathed a sigh of relief at the news. 

 

“Thank you, please don’t judge them because of…” Eponine answered before drawing off still unable to say what had happened. 

“I won’t.” Enjolras replied curtly before standing, “I need to get ready to go over the run for tonight.” 

“I haven’t seen any of it.” Eponine told him, “Ras! There's nothing more important than a well formed electorate. “ 

“You know you’re still in trial.” Enjolras shot back. 

“When there's no information or, much worse, wrong information, it can lead to horrible decisions and ruin any attempts at debate.”

“Where did all of this come from?” Enjolras asked her. 

“It’s what we wanted to do before and you’ve gotten scared of losing viewers and you’re about to do it in 3D!” 

“This is advertiser supported television Eponine, I give the news people want to hear.” 

“ I'd rather do a good show for 100 people than a bad one for a million.” Eponine fired back. “I’m here to to produce a news broadcast that more closely resembles the one we did before you got popular by not bothering anyone, Leno.” 

“I’d rather be employed thank you very much.” Enjolras answered 

“I've come here to take your IQ and your talent and put it to some patriotic fucking use.  
Where does it say that a good news show can't be popular? “

“Ratings.” Enjolras replied 

“We can do it, it’s our duty to give them the news the way itit not the way they like it. Then they can make their own decisions.” Eponine took a deep breath. Enjolras looked away from her, he knew she was right.  
0000000  
“I’ve got a source inside BP who’s in meetings on the well.” Grantaire told Marius “They don’t know how to cap it.” 

The staff was too busy trying to decide what to do that they didn’t hear Enjolras and Eponine walk in.” 

“What the hell is happening!” Enjolras exclaimed. 

“A possible explosion at an oil rig, more than 11 missing.” Courfeyrac told his boss. 

“I’ve got a friend in BP meetings in London saying that they don’t know how to cap the well.” Grantaire filled him in. 

“There's still oil spilling?” Eponine asked in shock 

“The first estimate was about 10,000 gallons an hour. My guy says it's closer to 100,000 and could get as high as a quarter of a million.” Grantaire stated. “My guy’s told me that it was a failure in the cement used to seal the well before, this company hired to fix the well cut corners they knew it was gonna fail.” 

Eponine turned t Enjolras, her eyes pleading for them to do this story. 

“I need you to name your source.” Enjolras instructed Grantaire seemed hesitant. 

“R, Courfeyrac say’s its the biggest environmental disaster in history. “ Eponine told him. 

“Alright.” Grantaire told him. 

00000

 

Eponine grabbed her headset as they filed into the control room.  
“Who’s are wardrobe supervisor?” She asked staring at Enjolras over the screen. 

“We don’t have anyone.” Marius answered. 

“He needs Armani, charcoal grey and black.” Eponine answered

“Wouldn’t that make him look like an East coast prick?” Marius asked

“Were making that sexy again.” Eponine answered with a grin. 

00000

They ran the story, for the first time in years Enjolras felt like he was himself. In reporting on the well and on that one man forced to maintain all of those drills in the gulf. Of all that oil spilling out into the water and contaminating the water. 

He was better, he asked the right questions and the people didn’t like his answers. 

"You didn't bring her in to right the ship. You brought her in to build a new one.” Enjolras told Valjean. “You knew Marius would go with Combeferre .You orchestrated the whole thing.” 

“I did.” Valjean answered “For years I’ve been wanting to do the news then I realized I run a news division. She's indifferent to ratings, competition, corporate concerns, and, generally speaking, consequences.” 

“My ears are burning.” They turned and Eponine came out of the control room. Valjean smiled at her. “I'm Don Quixote, you can be Sancho, she'll be Dulcinea, and everyone out there is the horse.” 

“Donkey!” Eponine interjected 

“How did you know about that conversation?” Enjolras asked 

“I know everything, Anchors having an opinion isn't a new phenomenon. Murrow had one and that was the end of McCarthy.Cronkite had one and that was the end of Vietnam.” 

“I’m no Cronkite.” Enjolras murmured. 

“I think you’re wrong, There's a time when everyone decides to do what’s right, we just decided to.” Valjean told him. With that the older man left them standing there. Enjolras silently turned and went to the elevator.  
.  
“Ras!” He stopped and sighed, he’d had her in his ear for the past hour and he wasn’t sure if he could take it for much longer. 

“I, I just wanted to say.” She stammered “Good show.” 

“You to.” He murmured and faced the silver doors again. 

“It wasn’t medication.” He told her suddenly. “I thought I saw you in the crowd. But it turned out to be somebody else.” He explained. The doors opened and he disappeared behind them. Eponine sprang forward and hit the open door button. 

“Wait! Wait”She shouted and quickly flipped through the papers of her notebook. 

Large black letters stared back up at her. 

IT’S NOT  
BUT IT CAN BE

When the doors opened again he wasn’t there. Taking a deep breath Eponine turned and strode back to her office.


End file.
